Pipe smoker{40 s tool

ABSTRACT

An elongate shaft carries a disk near a pointed end thereof for tamping and aerating tobacco within the bowl of a smoker&#39;&#39;s pipe. In an alternate embodiment the shaft is slidably supported by an arm extending from the disk whereby the depth of aeration is variable. The shaft may also be withdrawn from the support arm for use as a pick to clean the pipe bowl.

United States Patent Bruget Aug. 20, 1974 PIPE SMOKER'S TOOL 621,680 11/1935 Germany 131 247 [76] Inventor: Bernard C. Bruget, 1669 E. Bishop Tempe 85282 Primary Examiner-Joseph S. Reich [22] Filed: Aug. 13, 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William H. Drummond; 1211 Appl. No.: 387,893

[52] U.S. Cl. 131/243, 131/247 [51] Int. Cl. A24f 9/04 [57] ABSTRACT [58} Field of Search 131/243, 247

An elongate shaft carries a disk near a pointed end [56] References C'ted thereof for tamping and aerating tobacco within the UNIT S TES PATENTS bowl of a smokers pipe. In an alternate embodiment 85,626 1/1869 Waite 131 247 x the s a is s d ly support d by an arm extending 991,278 5/1911 Cook 131/247 from the disk whereby the depth of aeration is vari- 2,049,298 7/1936 Jung 131/247 able. The shaft may also be withdrawn from the sup- 2,460,937 2/1949 Kaufman 131/243 port arm for use as a to clean the bow] FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 22,239 0/1914 Great Britain 131/243 1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures PIPE SMOKERS TOOL pipe smokers tool variously useful for tamping and aerating pipe tobacco and for cleaning the bowl of a pipe.

For maximum enjoyment the skillful pipe smoker will perform several acts in connection with smoking a single bowl of tobacco. While filling the bowl with tobacco, the smoker carefully presses the tobacco to the proper compaction which will ensure that the pipe will draw comfortably. As the tobacco burns deeper into the bowl, the surface residue of previously burned tobacco forms an encrustation which prevents fresh air from passing down through the bowl in response to the smokers drawing efforts. To maintain the burning tobacco and comfortable drawing the smoker must periodically perforate or aerate the surface layer of tobacco. Upon finishing a bowl of tobacco, the prudent pipe smoker will immediately attend to cleaning his pipe. This generally consists of tapping the loose ash from the bowl and then removing the dross from the sides of the bowl being careful not to disturb the desired even deposit of carbon. In a further cleaning effort any dross residue of unburned tobacco or moisture is removed from the stern of the pipe, particularly near the heel of the bowl. The latter cleaning operation is usually accomplished by a combination of picking at the loose material and blowing into the stem of the pipe.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a pipe smokers tool which is useful to the smoker in accomplishing the several tasks attendant smoking a bowl of tobacco.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a smokers tool for properly pressing and tamping tobacco within a pipe bowl.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a smokers tool which can be used to aerate the tobacco.

Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a pipe smokers tool which can be used to remove ash and dross from the pipe bowl.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination pipe smokers tool of the above type which incorporates a pick for removing residue from the heel of the bowl and the stem of the pipe.

Briefly, to achieve the desired objectives of the present invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof first provided is an elongate shaft having a first pointed end and a second end. A disk sized to be inserted into a pipe bowl is carried by the shaft perpendicular thereto and spaced from the first end. The smoker grasping the tool by the second end uses the disk to press and tamp tobacco within the bowl of a pipe while the pointed end of the shaft is used for perforating the encrustation and aerating the tobacco. As a modification to this embodiment, the second end of the shaft may be pointed to provide a pick for cleaning the pipe bowl and stem or alternately the second end may support a radial flange which is useful as a finger rest while tamping or aerating tobacco or as a scraping tool for removing dross from the pipe bowl.

In accordance with an alternately preferred embodiment of the pipe smokers tool of thepresent-invention, an arm extending generally perpendicular fromthe disk slidably supports and aligns the shaft for extending through an aperture within the disk. In this configuration the pointed end of the shaft may be extended or retracted below the disk to aerate the pipe tobacco to a predetermined depth. The shaft may also be withdrawn from the support arm-and used separately as a pick in cleaning the pipe.

The previously stated and further and more specific objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taking in conjunction with the drawings in which;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the pipe tool of the present invention as it might appear during use;

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of a slightly modified em- FIG. 3 is a perspective view of alternately preferred embodiment of a pipe tool constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention here shown inverted from the normal use position for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the device of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the device of FIG. 4.

Turning now to the drawings in which the same reference numerals indicate corresponding elements throughout the several views attention is first directed to FIG. 1 which shows a pipe smokers tool of the present invention first provided with an elongate shaft 10 having a first and 11 and a second and 12. A disk 13 sized to be inserted into a pipe bowl is carried by the shaft proximate the first end 11. In the instant embodiment the first end 11 is pointed while a radial flange 14 is carried by the second end 12. As seen in the illustration the radial flange 14 provides a rest for the index finger of the smokers hand 17 while the thumb and remaining fingers grasp the shaft 10.- In this position the smoker may with a short reciprocal motion utilize the pointed end 11 to aerate the tobacco 18 or alternately with a longer stroke employ the disk 13 to tamp the tobacco 18 within the pipe bowl 19.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the pipe smokers tool having a similar shaft 10 with a pointed first end 11 and carrying disk 13 but with a modified pointed second end 12a. Whereas the pipe tool as specifically shown in FIG. 1 may be grasped near the disk 13 and the radial flange 14 used for scraping dross from the pipe bowl the modified embodiment of FIG. 2 may be similarly grasped to utilize the second pointed end 12a as a pick for removing residue from the heel of the bowl or from the stem of the pipe.

FIG. 3-5 show an alternately preferred embodiment of a pipe smokers tool as having a disk 20 with an aperture 21 therethrough. As is understood the disk 20 is sized to be inserted into a pipe bowl. An arm 22 extending generally perpendicular to the face of the disk 20 carries a pair of guide members 23 which are aligned with the aperture 21. An elongate shaft 24 having a first pointed end 27 and a second-end 28 supporting a radial flange 29 is slidably supported within the guide members 23.

As specifically shown in FIG. 4 the pointed end 27 of the shaft 24 may be extended a predetermined distance below the disk for aerating or aerating and tamping the pipe tobacco or retracted as shown by the dotted lines to facilitate only tamping the tobacco. As required by the pipe smoker or as desired by the pipe smoker, the shaft 24 may be completely withdrawn from the aperture 21 and the support members 23 utilized as a pick as herein before described.

Various modifications and variations of the devices herein chosen for purposes of illustration will occur to those skilled in the art. While the device of FIGS. 1 and 2 is illustrated with the shaft and disk concentric it is anticipated that an eccentric arrangement may better suit the demands of a particular pipe smoker. Similarly the device of FIGS. 3-5 may be provided with a stop member attached to the shaft 24 for limiting the extent of extension or retraction of the pointed end 27 in relation to the disk 20.

Having fully described and disclosed the present invention and the presently preferred embodiments thereof in such clear and concise terms as to enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice the same the invention claimed is I claim:

1. A pipe smokers tool for tamping smoking tobacco within the bowl of a smokers pipe, for aerating said tobacco, and for cleaning the bowl of said pipe, said tool comprising:

a. a disk sized to be inserted into a pipe bowl and having an aperture therein;

b. an arm extending from said disk generally perpendicular to the face thereof; and

c. an elongate shaft, having a first pointed end and a second end carrying a radial flange, slidably supported by said arm aligned for extending said pointed end through the aperture in said disk. 

1. A pipe smoker''s tool for tamping smoking tobacco within the bowl of a smoker''s pipe, for aerating said tobacco, and for cleaning the bowl of said pipe, said tool comprising: a. a disk sized to be inserted into a pipe bowl and having an aperture therein; b. an arm extending from said disk generally perpendicular to the face thereof; and c. an elongate shaft, having a first pointed end and a second end carrying a radial flange, slidably supported by said arm aligned for extending said pointed end through the aperture in said disk. 